Piper PA-31 accident near Kotzebue, Alaska, June 29, 2007
On June 29, 2007 at about 2:15 am local time, a Piper PA-31, registered N3535F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kotzebue, Alaska (Kotzebue airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Locked parking brakes and the operator's maintenance personnel's failure to properly secure the parking brake cable at its fuselage attaching clamp.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2007 · about 2:15 am local time
- Place
- Kotzebue, Alaska · Kotzebue
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- N3535F · no longer on the register · serial 31-7952200
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot reported that at the start of his second flight of the day, the airplane's brakes appeared to be locked, but the parking brake was not set. He was able to unlock the brakes by manipulating the parking brake several times, applying engine power, and by moving the nose gear steering via the rudder pedals several times. The airplane brakes released, but he did not report the brake problem to the operator. While landing at the end of the third flight, the pilot said that as soon as all three landing gear tires were on the ground, the airplane began a gradual right turn. He said he applied left brake and left rudder with minimal effect. The left main landing gear tire produced a skid mark on the runway as the airplane overshot the planned taxiway exit, and then departed off the right edge of the runway. The airplane received structural damage to the fuselage and wing spars. The airplane was equipped with hydraulic brakes, and a hydraulic parking brake valve. The parking brake valve is activated by a cable between the valve and the parking brake handle. Application of the airplane's brakes via pedal pressure, and then pulling out on the parking brake handle, sets the parking brake. After recovery from the ditch, an FAA inspector, accompanied by a mechanic from the operator, examined the airplane. Their examination revealed that the parking brake cable was not securely fastened to the airframe by its attaching clamp. This could allow the outer cable housing to move independent of the inner wire attached to the parking brake valve, and could prevent parking brake release. Partial valve activation could hold hydraulic brake pressure on the airplane's brakes, if the brakes were touched during flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 4,000 in this make and model; 10,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 25,529 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, June 1, 2007; 48 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,250 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PASK Selawik AK at 8:45 pm
- Destination: PAOT Kotzebue AK
- Runway 26, 5,900 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,300 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 9:24 pm from PAOT
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N3535F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.